Alto Contracting, Inc.

Like a good Boy Scout – “Be Prepared”

Alto Contracting, Inc. — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:36:19 +0000

Like a good Boy Scout – “Be Prepared”

Just like the Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared”, you should be prepared for the cold air, snow, and ice that is moving in here in the Northeast. Preparing for the winter is important so that you and your home are ready for the cold temperatures, and you are not caught off-guard in an emergency situation. Here are a few things that you can do to help prepare for the cold temperatures.

Around the house:

Close your outdoor water faucets so that they do not freeze and burst a pipe.

Make sure your gutters are clean so that melting snow and ice will not over flow the gutters and form icicles.

Wrap any delicate fruit trees or shrubs that may be damaged by the cold temperatures, ice, and wind.

Put away patio furniture and tables that may be susceptible to damage.

Check your house for drafts, and poor insulation.

If your house is heated with forced hot air through duct work, change the filters in your air handlers so that the motors are not overworked.

If your home is heated with oil, make sure that you monitor your oil tank so that it does not become too low, so that you do not run out of oil.

Stock up on plenty of canned goods, and bottled water in case of a power outage.

Keep your driveway and walkways free from ice.

Your Car:

A quick trip to the store during the cold can become dangerous if you are not ready for an emergency situation such as a car breaking down, running out of gas, blocked roads, or a traffic accident. You should always have a fully charged cell phone (be sure to have a car charger at all times). You should check your tire pressure, antifreeze fluid, all fluid levels such as engine oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and windshield fluid (rated for winter use). Good windshield wipers that properly clean during rain and snow are essential.

Things to keep in the trunk:

A good spare tire, jack and wrench.

Warm coat or blanket, gloves, hat, boots.

Water bottles in a small cooler should not freeze while in the trunk, and are an essential item to have.

Emergency triangle kit for roadside safety during a breakdown or repair.

Hopefully you will enjoy your winter months without any major issues, but being prepared is always a good thing.

We offer driveway snow plowing services in Northern Westchester County. Contact us for a free estimate.

Rick Ribeiro – Alto Contracting, Inc.

AltoContracting.com

Unless your a duck, a flooded basement is never fun!

Alto Contracting, Inc. — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:15:18 +0000

Unless your a duck, a flooded basement is never fun!

No one enjoys bailing out the basement and dealing with the remediation from the damage of a flood, but with a little planning and drainage correction, this can be avoided. More often than not, flooding occurs in a home in the basement due to ground water and/or surface water penetrating the shell of the house. The shell of the house is obviously the roof and walls, but it continues down to the foundation walls, and basement slab.

Let’s address problems that can occur in the foundation walls, slab, and surrounding exterior grading. First, in order for water to get into the basement and create a nightmare for us, it must have a way into the house such as a crack in the foundation, basement slab, basement window frames, and the like. Checking the window frames and repairing any missing caulking is the easiest fix and can be handled by either the homeowner or a professional. What looks to be like a little water penetration from the window frame can in time create rot in the frame and any other wood it comes in contact with, damage sheet rock and insulation, and create mold on these surfaces.

Waterproofing is a preventative aspect to this whole problem that should be adressed after the source of the water is found and corrected. If water is coming in through a cracked foundation, or seeping in through a large surface of the wall, it must be corrected on the outside first. Trying to waterproof the interior side of the wall will not work alone. The hydrostatic pressure of underground water will need more than just an interior waterproofing component. This works best when the repair is made on the exterior, the wall will then be dry, and the waterproofing can be applied.

As for fixing the root of the problem, the foundation is allowing water to come in the basement because there are cracks were water can get in, but also because the soil is retaining the water due to poor drainage around the house. All downspouts must divert water well away from the house, and the foundation must have a drainage system at the footing of the foundation wall that collects the water and takes it away from the house.

We have successfully corrected water problems in many houses by excavating the foundation, correcting the structural cracks, waterproofing the foundation, installing a complete drainage system, and waterproofing the interior of the wall as needed. When the proper steps have been taken to correct the faults in the house and the drainage system, the basement can be a welcome place again for you and your family.

If you or someone you know needs assistance with a drainage issue, please contact us and we will visit the site and come up with a solution.

Rick Ribeiro – Alto Contracting, Inc.

AltoContracting.com

How to Recycle Anything – Real Simple

Alto Contracting, Inc. — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:05:54 +0000

How to Recycle Anything

An A-to-Z guide of what can be tossed into which bin.

Here’s some information that helps simplify the task of recycling, and also gives good ideas on re-purposing useful items that we don’t have use for any more. We recycle concrete and blacktop into new base material for other projects, and this helps keep the material out of landfills. Try recycling/re-purposing when ever possible so that we can help sustain the earth and protect our environment.

Rick Ribeiro – Alto Contracting, Inc.

AltoContracting.com

Stamped Concrete Pool Deck

Alto Contracting, Inc. — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:50:48 +0000

Bring your plain or dated concrete pool deck up to date.

With all the stress we encounter at work and in our daily lives, coming home to an enjoyable and comforting space can really help to relax and recuperate. If your pool deck is outdated, dingy, or boring, try a stamped concrete overlay. Within a few days we can prepare and install a new stamped concrete overlay on your pool deck. The patio will be thoroughly cleaned, cracks will be repaired, and we will then stamp and seal to concrete on your pool deck, steps, or landings.

Take a look at the transformation of the pool patio in the video and next time your lounging pool side, take a look at your patio and see if it could use a fresher look.

Rick Ribeiro – Alto Contracting, Inc.

AltoContracting.com

Don’t let the weeds take over.

Alto Contracting, Inc. — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:06:29 +0000

Weeds and grass growing through your asphalt can not only be an eye sore, but they can do some serious damage.

Even though they look small and meek, the strength and destruction that weeds and grass can cause on your driveway is a real problem. With evasive roots, weeds can spread though an existing crack, push their way up through a “stable” asphalt surface, and can spread faster than expected.

Cracks in asphalt are unsightly, but more important, they allow water to penetrate down into the crack and damage the asphalt around the crack. Through the freeze-thaw cycle of the winter the surrounding area can buckle and create more cracking. When an area has excessive cracking we often label an area like this as “alligatoring” due to the similarity to an alligator’s skin. An area with excessive cracking becomes unstable and can no longer withstand the weight of vehicles and begins to crumble.

So before things get out of control, keep an eye out for weeds and grass in the cracks. They can be removed with chemical sprays that kill all vegetation, or you can get down and gently pull them out of the crack. With all the chemicals in the environment, I choose to pull out first and if they don’t return, I know I got the whole root and they will not be coming back. A quick tip; do you weeding after a rain, or wet down the cracks and let the water soak into the crack for a while. This will soften the dirt and allow the entire root to come out, and lessen the chance for the weed to grow back.

Now that there out, what’s next?

Crack repair is important and we offer this service at no additional charge when we seal-coat a customers driveway. Hot liquid tar is applied into the crack so that it will be sealed from water penetrating into it, and the driveway is sealed with a high quality coal-tar sealer with sand.

Be good to your driveway and it will return the favor with many years of good service.

Rick Ribeiro – Alto Contracting, Inc.

AltoContracting.com

Give your boring concrete a facelift.

Alto Contracting, Inc. — Mon, 30 May 2011 13:28:47 +0000

If your concrete is plain and boring, just give it a facelift.

When a concrete walkway, patio or steps have structurally deteriorated, the only remedy is removal and replacement. However, when the concrete is still structurally sound, a stamped concrete overlay will transform the area and bring life into your hard-scape. With various patterns, colors, and textures, it’s easy to find something that matches your design style, and fits into the colors and style of your existing landscape.

A stamped concrete overlay is a specifically designed and fortified mixture that when professionally installed, becomes an integral part of the existing concrete structure. We use the appropriate methods of cleaning and preparing the existing concrete, and bonding agents to insure proper adhesion between the existing concrete and the new concrete overlay. Once the overlay has cured, a UV protective sealer with grip (to assist in traction) is applied over the entire area.

So, the next time your walking on a bland concrete walkway, patio, or basement floor, and your contemplating removing it for something new, think about an overlay instead. With an overlay there is no mess from removing concrete with jack-hammers or the noise associated with demolition. A typical overlay project can be performed from start to finish in two days.

Rick Ribeiro – Alto Contracting, Inc.

AltoContracting.com

Garden Fun With The Family.

Alto Contracting, Inc. — Fri, 20 May 2011 11:01:08 +0000

Now’s a great time to get started on that vegetable garden!

With the mild and wet spring we’ve had so far, it’s not too late to get started on planting some vegetables, herbs, and fruits in a nice “family garden”.

Spending time with the kids is always great, but much of our interactions are related to driving to baseball, soccer, dance, scouting activities, and many more scheduled/formatted activities. Gardening as a family allows us to interact with our kids and nature at the same time, and also supplies us with fresh healthy food. The initial planning and planting of a garden will take some time, but from there after the maintenance and care is relatively simple.

A garden should have ample sunlight (6+ hours/day), good vitamin rich soil, consistent watering, and good protection from wildlife so that all of our hard work is not gobbled up during the night. We always plant the items that we enjoy eating at home on a regular basis, and I recommend that you consider carefully what to grow before planting. Some items such as corn, pumpkins, and squash can seem appealing while browsing the various options for seeds, but they harvest very little in comparison to the space the take up in a back yard garden. We try to stick to the basics; tomatoes, lettuce, beans, basil, parsley, mint, strawberries, onions, spinach, kale, and a couple of “wildcards” such as asparagus and cauliflower.

We usually plant 3-4 varieties of tomatoes so that we have a better chance of a good crop even if conditions are not favorable for any particular variety. The tomatoes and beans are planted around the perimeter and they both have a support system for when they grow taller and heavier. We use pre-fabricated circular wire frames for the tomatoes, and we make a grid system above the planting bean stalks with sticks and twine so that they have somewhere to grow on.

Children love to water the garden regularly, and collect the fruits and vegetables when they are ripe. Right before a meal is the best time to collect some lettuce, tomatoes, and basil for a fresh garden salad.

Whatever you’re ultimate garden size, design, or crop is, the benefits from the fresh food and family time will nourish you in many ways.

Rick Ribeiro – Alto Contracting, Inc.

AltoContracting.com

The Sky Is falling!

Alto Contracting, Inc. — Wed, 18 May 2011 11:02:00 +0000

The Sky Is Falling!

Well, maybe not literally, but with all this rain we need to take a look at a few things around the house.

Our gutters are supposed to collect the rain water and divert it away from the house, and spring cleaning should include cleaning out the debris in your gutters. But before getting started, make sure that your safe about what your about to do. Use a sturdy ladder and if possible, try to clean the gutters from the ladder instead of climbing up onto the roof. A good gutter guard will greatly reduce, or even block the debris from collecting in your gutters. If gutter guards are not an option, be sure to check your gutters and clean them at least twice a year (spring and fall).

Ignoring your gutters and downspouts can lead to big headaches for homeowners. Foundation damage, basement flooding, soil erosion, and standing water are some things that you want to avoid at all costs.

Rick Ribeiro – Alto Contracting, Inc.

AltoContracting.com